Since being undrafted, Nikolas Matinpalo has had to fight his way to get NHL playing time. Matinpalo's first time getting NHL playing time came when he played in just four games in the 2023-24 season for the Ottawa Senators.
In the 2024-25 season, Matinpalo was inserted more into the Senators lineup. When the regular season concluded, Matinpalo recorded four points in 41 games.
Matinpalo would get the chance to play in all six 2025 playoff games for the Senators. As Matinpalo singed a two-year extension after the playoffs, there will be more pressure on the 26-year-old Finnish defenseman.
Playing for Finland can help Matinpalo grow his game, but Senators will need him to learn fast
Since the Senators have been eliminated from the 2025 playoffs, Matinpalo has spent his time playing for Team Finland in the 2025 IIHF World Championship. The experience that Matinpalo is getting with having the chance to play with and against the best from each country will be needed to gain more experience for next season.
Matinpalo has recorded two points with a +3 rating for Team Finland in eight games played so far in the IIHF World Championship. One of Matinpalo's two points was a shorthanded goal.
Recently, right handed defenseman Nick Jensen has gotten off-season surgery for a lower-body injury. With surgery for Jensen, the Senators will need a right hand defenseman to raise his game for next season. That one defenseman could be Matinpalo.
Matinpalo is more of a defensive defenseman who will block shots, deliver hits, clear pucks out and block passing lanes. That style of play is like familiar to Jensen, and Matinpalo can have a chance to raise his game like Jensen's.
Matinpalo got good major experience back in February when he got to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off. At the time, Matinpalo had just played in 22 career NHL games.
With representing Team Finland on two different occasions and playing in the playoffs in 2025, the experience will be important that the Senators hope will help Matinpalo.
While playing in just 45 career NHL games, some still might say Matinpalo is an inexperienced defenseman in the NHL, but the International stage can be important for a player like Matinpalo to get to help him mature and get more familiar with NHL play.